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2 Sh6Bt8-8h66fi 1. G. W. PE'ABODY & 0. L. COWLES. MACHINE FOR DRESSING AND RENOVATING FBATHERS, No. 67,449.

Patented Aug 5, 1867 No. 67,449. Patented Aug. 6, 1867.

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G. W. PEABODY, OF EAST HAMPTON, AND O. L COWLES, OF WESTFIELD.

MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 67,449, dated August 6, 1867.

MACHINE FOR DRESSING AND RENOVATING FEA'I'HBRS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that we, G. W. PEABODY, of East Hampton, in the county of Hampshire, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and O. L. COWLES, of Westfield, in the county of Hampden, in said Commonwealth, have invented a new and useful improvement in Machines for Dressing and Renovating Feathers; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, and of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had tothc annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, whereof, in plate 1- Figure is a front elevation of said machine.

Figure 2 is a. vertical transverse section through line (1-D, fig. 1.

Figure'3 is a vertical transverse section through line E-F, fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical section of steam cylinder; and in plate 2 Figure 5 is an'end elevation of said machine.

Figures 6 and 7 respectively, an elevation and a vertical section of the combined valve-key and steam-plug used in said machine; and

Figure 8 is a. longitudinal vertical section through the line A-B, fig. 5,

The nature of our invention consists in constructirig a machine in which feathers-may be cleansed, dressed, and renovated by the action of steam admitted freely among the feathers, and afterwards dried and made lit for use Without removing them from the machine, and relates particularly to the methodof regulating and distributing the supply of steam, the construction of the valves and means of operating them, and the method of removing the condensed steam from the machinc.-

i The construction of ourinvention is as follows: A frame of wood, consisting of base H, standards GG G G, and cross-sills a a, supports the feather-holder or receptacle M. This feather-holder is constructed in the form of an octagonal prism, made with closely fitted joints, to preventthe escape of steam as far as possible-.-- Wood side pieces K K, of suitable thickness,and seven in number, are fastened to octagonal ends .or heads I I, of the same material. A hinged cover, K, forms one side of the prism, being hinged to an adjoining side atn n, and fastened, when closed, by a small hook and staple at o. This rcccptncie is from six to eight feet in length, and from two to three feet in diameter, and may he of a cylindrical shape instead of a prism, and, if the latter, may be madein the form of any polygonal prism, any shape approximating to a-cylindcr being appropriate. Featherholders of different forms, and of the same general construction as the one herein described, are essential parts of mapy of the feather-dressing machines now in use. Hollow journals 6 6, having wide flanges be at their inner ends, are secured to the heads of the featl1er-holder by screws passing -throngh the flanges c cinto the heads I I. These journals turn'in hearings made in the cross-sills a a, and are applied tothc feather-holder in line, and sothat the latter will revolve evenly in its bearings. A steam cylinder,j, of tin or other sheet metal, and of a diameter ofeight inches or more, extends ritlrin the feather-holder from end to and, passing through openings in theheads I I, so that the ends of'the cylinder meet the flanges c c. Necks S S fastened to the end of the cylinder enter the-hollow bearings ashort distance and fit closely -therein,-leaving a clear steam-passage through the hollow bearings into the cylinder. A packing of white lead or other pigment is applied between each end of the cylinder and the flange which. comes in contact with it, to make the joint at these pointssteamtightl Small drip-pipes p]; project from each end of the cylinder through holes in the flanges, and are closed by plugs r r which can be readily removed, for drdwing'out any water which has accumulated within the steamcylinder. The feather-holder M being made and setin its hearings in the machine, and the steam-cylinder properly adjusted within the holder, the method of distributing and controlling the supply of steam is next to be described, the object being to admit it freely -to the space L between the outside of the steam-cylindcr and the inside of the feather-holder for steaming the feathers placed in the space L, or to exclude it entirely from the space L, while the steamed feathers are drying,'o r after they are removed from the machine, Avalve seat,f, fittedt-o receive a conical valve, e, has four arms 9 g g g of equal length, radiating from it at equal dis tanccs. ,These arms are hollow and open into the spaces in the valve-seat. They also pass through the sides jof the cylinder,thus making four steam-channels froni thcvalv'e-seat into the space L. The outer ends of he arms, gg g g project a short distance beyond the surfaccof the cylinder, to prevent any substance adheri g to the surface of the cylinder from-entering the hollow arms. Each arm gis securely fastened by soldering, or

otherwise, to'the cylinder where it enters it, thus securing the'valve-seat rigidly in its place, equidistant from the sidesof the cylinder. Aconical valve, e, is fitted 'to the valve-satf, so that when entered it closes all of the four'steam-ways through the arms 9 g g g. For the construction of the valves and valve-seats wc prefer to use brass or other metal not easily corroded. In every machinewc propose to use two or more of thcltsvnlvcscats, constructed and appliedsubstantially as described, fitted with; conical valves, and fastened at regular intervals along the interior of the cylinde yas shown by black and red lines. If two valve-seatsare used there will be eight steammassages from the interior of the cylinder to the space We do not limit ourselves as to the nuuiher of these valve-seats to he used in a cylinder, butl'considcr three, ailording twelve steam-passages, sufiicient for the proper working of the machine. -Nor dowelimit ourselves to the employment of -a valve-seat halving radiating arms, but believe-the use, in such machines, of a valve-seat having radiating steam-passages,' whether the same are in the hollow arms, or formed in asolid disk, of which the'valve-scut is the centre, to be new. Theconical valve e has a central aperture through its length, and the valve-rod (Zpusscs through this aperture, and pins 1) of through the valve-rod prevent the valve from sliding on the rod except in the limited space between the pins '0 o. If only one valve-seat is used, the valve niay be pinned rigidly upon the rod, but if more than one isused, five-prefer to allow the valve a-slight-sliding'motion upon the valve-rod, and to place' a small spiral spring between the pin '1) and the valve, coiling the samoaround the valve-rod, thus allowinga' little play to the valves, in case any-one of.the valve-seats should be sprung out of place. The valve-rod 01 passes through holes in the cross-stays z and i, set near the en d s ofthe cylinder. To prevent the valve-rod d fg om-turniug, aslot (figs. 3 and 4)is made on either side of the hole 7L in the stay a, and leaves or rectangular pieces of thin metal X X, are fastened to opposite sides of the valve-rod. These leaves enter-the slotsin the stay. 1', end are long enough-to prevent the valve'rod from turning at-any point in its motion to and fro in the cylinder.'-'" The valve-rod projects into the hollow bearings,and has"n screw-thread cut uponit at each end.

The last point to be described is the valve-key, which also serves as a steam-plug. Thisvalve-kcy (figs. '6 and 7) consists of a. head,.N,- stem 0, and eye R, and is constructed of iron or other metal. A' portion of the head His turned ornecl-zed downat Bforminga groove for the reception of packing. Yarn or other suitable packing is-applied at W, to make. the head Nfit tightly in either of the hollow bearings, the diameter of the head being a little less than-the inside diameter of the bearings. -A hole, t, large enough to admit the end of the yalve-rod is formed in the end of the head N, and a screw-thread is out upon 'the interior, of the proper pitch and size to engage witlrthe screw-thread cut upon'either end of the valve-rod. By inserting the valve-key in either of the hollow bearings, the end of. the valve-rod will enter, the opening t, and upon'turning. the key the two screw-threads will engage with each other-,uml the key will have a firm hold of the rod, which latter can then he hioved to and from the operator'by mcans'ofthe key, thus giving control of all the valves by one motion of the key. Another use of the key is to serve as a steam-plug to prevent the steam in the cylinder. from escaping through the hollow bearing in which the key is inserted.

- .The operation of our invention is as follows: A boiler for supplying steam is to he used with the machine,

the supply pipe from such boilen'heing attached to one nrthe otherof the hollow bearings 25 b, as is most convenient. The cover K being opened, the feathers which are to he cleansed and renovated arethrust into the spaceL, andthe cover closed and secured by the hooks and staples. The valves are then opened hy mennsof the valvedrey, and the steam passes through the hollow arms 9 into the space L and among the feathers. The feather-holder M is frequently revolved, to. keep thefeathers in motion and expose them fully to the action of the steam. when the feathers have been suilicientlysteam'ed the valves are closed by means of the valve-key, and steam is still supplied to the cylinder. The heat then radiates from theicylinder among themoistencd feathers, und'they are soon dried and renovated. During the process of drying the feather-holder is frequently turned, that the i'ea-thorsmay dry evenly and thoroughly... The steam can be introduced at either end of the machine as s uits the convenience of the operator, the valve-keybeing then applied at the opposite end.

We-are aware that steam has been applied to'the dressing of feathers in a. revclving feather-holder, and we do not-claiin the use thereof as novel, nor do we claim the forth 'or construction of the wood feather-holder M,

or the'stcom-eylinder within the some, as all of said devices are of public knowledge and application.

Ourinvention has reference to the construction of the valve-seats, and their application to the steamcylinder; to'the described method of opsrating all-of said valves together. bythe action of one valve-rod; to the construction and use offthe combined valve-key and steam-plug; and to the arrangement, of. the drip-pipes shown. We have applied to the solve-sects other valves than conical volves', but prefer, the latter, asbeing simpleand durable. V I t What we'therefore claini as our invention, and desire to secure Letters Patent, is' l v "1. The use, incon binution with the steam-cylinder M, ofo feather-dressing"machine, of one or more similar valve-seats, each having'several steam -passages radiating therefrom and opening into the space L, substantially as described, v I 7 p Y I V 2. Opei ati righll the-stea im-valvcs in the cylinder M by means of a single, valve-rel arranged within the cylinder, substantiallyas and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combined'volve-key and steam-plug, constructed and operhting substantially-as described. 4. The'arrangement of the dripslpipes, plac' eil as" described, in combination with the steam-cylinder and hollow fihn gcd hearings, substantially as set forth.

Witness our hands this comed of April, A. 1).1867.

G. w. PEA'BODY,

O. 'L'. OWLESQ Witnesses: f'

Osman Gmswotn; H.- B. Roar. 

